Bright Lights and Cardboard Boxes
by Luxray In Fanfictionland
Summary: Brendan has been trying his hand at Hoenn's Contests - but he's had some help along the way. His mentor is taking his mind away from it, though.


**Lisia is a cool character in ORAS. I'm genuinely surprised there isn't more fic about her; I think there's a lot of potential. Get on it, authors!**

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><p>"I call it: Hyper Rank Contest Victory! A New Champion Approaches?!"<p>

Lisia stood, her fist firmly in the air, marking for all to see her supreme confidence in the Trainer standing in front of her. Increasingly, though, that Trainer was becoming a Co-ordinator, and a very successful one at that.

Lisia's fist was marking her confidence for all to see... if there had been anyone else in the dressing room. As usual, Brendan blushed. Lisia's overdramatic exclamations came straight from the pages of a Kantoese manga, and whilst the sentiment was well placed, her method of expressing her support and encouragement was certainly unlike anything he had ever experienced before.

Truth be told, it was rather endearing. Brendan cleared his throat, trying to prevent his face from turning too red.

"I'm glad you liked our performance," he started. "I think Sugi and I will be able to challenge you and Ali soon!"

"That makes me happy, Brendan!" Lisia smiled widely. "It's super remarkable how quickly you've been picking up the contests! Are you having a good time? I hope..." she tailed off, looking at the floor, "I hope... you're not doing the contests just because I'm forcing you into it..."

"Am I ever," Brendan scoffed. "Well - a bit at first, but now Sugi is really enjoying them - I think she's a bit vain, honestly. And I really enjoy working with her to create the perfect appeal that will impress the judges. It's almost more tactical than battling; May never believes me when I tell her, but I think she'd like it too. Perhaps I'll bring her to the contests one of these days, and you'll see!"

"Well," Lisia replied, impressed, "whatever you and your Pokémon are doing to sway the judges, it's certainly working!" She smiled widely at Brendan, her face a picture of pride. "I'm so glad I scouted you, and that you're actually not terrible at this! That move to Mega Evolve Sugi on stage... it went down a storm! And that Poké Ball effect... how on earth did you arrange that?"

"You'd have thought people had never seen a Mega Swampert before," Brendan said. "As for the Poké Ball... well, the Pokémon Professor in Littleroot Town owed me a favour, so he brought back some Seals from upcountry. Apparently they're standard practice in Sinnoh Super Contests?"

Lisia gasped, excited. "Sinnoh? Oh, wow! Ali and me have only read about them! But we want to go try the Sinnoh Contests soon... we keep planning a trip up there, and it always gets pushed back by real life..." She sighed. "It sounds amazing though. If we could stock up on Seals... we would fill the whole suitcase!" Lisia laughed, flicking back her green hair. "They certainly look great!"

"Back to your original question," Brendan continued. "Are.. are people usually terrible at this?"

"Well," Lisia sweatdropped, "I have a slot with Hoenn's GetTV... they ask me to scout someone every week for the program. Let's just say - not everyone is as successful as you have been..."

"No wonder you're so good at the contests," Brendan teased. "You've had so much experience for the camera. I'm almost not looking forward to the Master Rank contests... since if I win, I'll have to face you for real!"

Lisia blushed. "Ali does all of the hard work! Not me! But I'm sure he'd like to face you and Sugi in a contest!"

Brendan smiled, confidently. "I don't doubt it. We'll give you a good show!"

Lisia blushed. "I know you will... you've come really far! And I've enjoyed helping you along the way and watching your progress... it's almost..." The gren-haired Contest star bit back her words, before continuing uncertainly. "You know, Brendan... there is, well, there is something I want to tell you -"

Thud.

"LISIA! There you are, darling. Come over here and help me with these -"

In the doorway, stood a tall figure, blond of hair and clad in a general air of wealth.

"Ah. Hello, you," the man said, taking in Brendan's presence and simultaneously dismissing him in one insouciant flick of the hair. He began talking in Brendan's general direction, not deigning to mention his name. "Could you step away, so I can consult with my rival? It's most dreadfully important, I'm afraid."

Brendan scowled. Chaz was insufferable in both his timing and his attitude.

"I'm not particularly keen on-"

"Ah, excellent. Lisia, darling, my rival, we must face each other again! I fear our relationship is growing stale. Think of the adoring fans, my dear! Think how bereft they are without the most consummate rivalry between man and girl one has yet seen on the Slateport Contest Stage! Think of the exciting and rapturous adventures that could yet happen on the laminate of the performance area! Macherie positively yearns for our next showdown!"

"Machi mach!" Chaz's Machoke gripped its box, tightly, almost menacingly.

"Chaz," Lisia scowled, "no."

"Darling, please, we have been working for this chance since the defeat in June's Summer Spectacular-"

Lisia sighed, running her hand resignedly through her radiant hair.

"Chaz, if you don't go, I will have to make you quite unhappy, and say things in frustration you won't like. Please, just give it up and leave already. I'll talk to you later on!"

"Lisia, that's no way to talk to your rival-"

"Enough!" Lisia shouted. Brendan stepped back, with a sharp intake of breath. His face blushed harder.

"Chaz, you are quite possibly the most impatient, ill tempered, impolite and irredeemable person I have ever had the misfortune to come across in a Hoenn Contest!" Lisia shouted, her face turning redder than Brendan's.

"Machi," Macherie said, uncertainly. Her thumbs tightened on the cardboard.

"Darling, pl-"

"Don't call me that," Lisia said, light shining from her eyes in a way that indicated her patience was at an end. She blinked back tears. "Chaz, why can't you ever listen? You are the worst person I have ever met when it comes to talking over people! And... as well... I'm not interested in you! At all! No matter what you might think!"

"I... I see..." Chaz sighed, before tilting his head in a manner most dismissive. "Don't flatter yourself, Lisia, darling. I wouldn't be interested in such a girl as you, anyway. All that interaction with the public for your talent show? Disgraceful! My interest in you is purely as a conquerable rival! Nothing else!"

Lisia bit back her response. "Chaz..."

Chas snorted, before flipping his hair insouciantly. "Lisia, please. If you don't want to be rivals, that's fine; I only wish you had indicated your intentions earlier on., then we might have avoided something," he glared at Brendan, "in front of your other friends."

Lisia gasped. "And what difference does it make to you? As far as I've known you you've always been a little bit insufferable, but this really takes a prize, Chaz. I can't believe you'd act like this, so petty and passive-aggressive; it's disgraceful. I-I think it would be best if you and Macherie l-left!"

Chaz made to reply, but bit his tongue, rising up to his full height. "As you wish, Lisia. Perhaps we can talk later, when your mind is more focused on Contest matters. Let me know when you are ready to discuss our serious rivalry." On which response, the blond-haired trainer motioned to his Machoke to leave, and stepped purposefully out of the dressing room, leaving silence in the wake of him and his Pokémon.

For a moment, silence reigned. Brendan coughed, awkwardly, whilst Lisia blinked back the water in her eyes. Brendan's face hardened at her rival's actions, before softening into a countenance of reassurance. He stepped over to Lisia, and hesitated, before awkwardly throwing his arms around her blue outfit.

"Lisia... It's not my place to say, but I'm here if you need to talk, okay?" Brendan tripped over his tongue, thinking of the words to say. "You might have scouted me and I might not be the greatest Hoenn Contest star yet, but I can still help you out... as a friend..."

Lisia smiled restrainedly, before accepting the boy's embrace, pressing her head carefully against Brendan's wide shoulder as she reciprocated the gesture. "I-I know you're my friend, Brendan," she began. "I'm glad to hear you say it, even if these circumstances aren't ideal."

Brendan chuckled. "Honestly, Lisia, it's fine. Let me know if I can do anything to help."

"W-well," Lisia began, her normally confident persona gone in the face of what she was about to say, "there is one thing you can do for me, Brendan." Lisia turned her head up from Brendan's shoulder, gazing directly now into his eyes, their faces almost touching. Brendan smiled uncertainly back. "What is it?"

"Hear me out," Lisia whispered. Brendan nodded to indicate his assent.

"I said earlier there was something I wanted to tell you, Brendan," Lisia began, blushing hard, the heat rising in her cheeks now from emotion rather than embarrassment. "I-I'm glad to hear you say that you could be there as a friend for me... and I've enjoyed being here as a mentor for Contests for you too... but I think that, given how we've become friends and helped each other in this dressing room... we could become something a.. a bit further?"

Brendan looked nonplussed, before blinking as the full import of Lisia's request sank in. He put on a huge smile, and tightened the grip on his mentor.

He didn't say anything. Instead, he elected to kiss her.

Lisia's eyes flew open in surprise, before closing completely, as she enjoyed the sensation of his lips on hers. The green-haired girl made the most subtle of shudders as Brendan's gesture overwhelmed her, and she sank further into their embrace.

After a while, their chaste kiss broke, and Lisia's eyes shone up at Brendan, reflecting the emotion she could see in his.

"Lisia..."

"Brendan..." Lisia whispered, "I call it... Romance Success! A New Chapter Begins!?"

This killed Brendan, and he struggled to contain his joy at Lisia's phrasing. He wasn't laughing to tease; he was merely very happy Lisia would phrase her affection in such a way.

That girl...

"I hope so," he merely whispered back, the smile on his face wider than it had ever been, even after defeating May on the Cycling Path. "I hope I can share things with you from hereon out!"

"Thank you," Lisia whispered, Brendan realising he had said the same thing. Both laughed, again in unison, erupting nervously from both of them at the happenstance. Lisia moved her hands to Brendan's back, to reciprocate the gesture he had made to her.

After that, no further words proved necessary, and Contest Hall staff were bemused why they couldn't get access to the dressing room - the door seemed locked, and there was no response to their enquiries, after all - so surely it was empty?


End file.
